Questions I've Been Too Afraid To Ask

jgarland

I've compiled a list of little questions which have been on my mind ever since I started modeling. I always figured asking them would make me look like a "noob," for lack of a better term. But really, we all had these questions at one point, so I guess now is as good a time as ever.

None of them really warrant a whole thread, so I figured if I put them all together, I could have them all answered at once. Some pertain only to 3ds Max.

1. Do professionals really use image planes when modeling a body, head, et cetera, or do most simply have the skill to sculpt the subject without their use? Image planes seem to kind of sabotage what would otherwise be a very straight-forward and streamlined workflow. There must be a better way than messing around with the sizes of planes, and adjusting image sizes and whatnot. Autodesk must have coded a better way by now, haven't they?

2. Is it better to sculpt a high poly mesh for normal mapping and then rework a low poly mesh around it, or vice versa? What are the pros and cons?

3. What kind of timeframe would be given for modeling a detailed main character from start to finish, assuming it's a current-gen model? I understand every developer is different, but how about an estimate?

4. Is there any kind of concensus as to what modeling method is best when dealing with low-poly models? Is box-modelling still preferred, or does it take a back seat to polymodelling?

5. Can anyone explain the whole quad/tri/n-gon/pole thing to me? I know that there's really no such thing as quads in practice, so what's the deal, exactly?

6. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the differences between mesh and poly modelling. Could someone explain some of their differences, and their pros and cons? Or at least just point me to a useful resource explaining them?

Sorry for asking all the questions. I suppose I should ultimately just suck it up and do the research myself, but my stance on it is that I won't learn anything if I don't ask questions. Thanks for looking. I appreciate any and all the help I can get.

Toomas

1. setting up image planes takes like what, 2mins? and if you have proper character sheet then why the hell not use it?
2. its up to you but i think its wiser to do high poly first
3. dunno
4. box modeling is a form of polymodeling... anyways it tends to be either box* or strip modeling but it doesnt mean it has to be pure, you can always mix and match depending how you like to do different things.
5. tris and ngons can be messy, especially for subdivision, where in a perfect world a quad gets divided into four quads. tris and ngons can play nice too but not always.
6. you mean editmesh and editpoly in max?? then forget about the mesh, its autodesk policy to leave obsolite tools in their programs or something. ofcourse sometimes very rarely editmesh might be useful, but its not worth to learn it anymore if dont know it allready.

*- by box i mean any type of primitive you start to cut and weld and whatnot, carve out a shape so to speak.

CrazyButcher

well it depends

1) I guess useage of reference images/planes is true for most "real-life" modelling, I fail to see why it would be a sabotage using 3views for vehciles and such. I guess for organic stuff it is mostly there to lay out the main proportions, but looking back at photo references always helps. Although I guess the more skilled with organics the better the artist knows the anatomy by mind

2) not that experienced with hi/low stuff, but judging from similar questions asked before (like you could probably hunt down all your questions in this forum), I'd say its up to you what you feel more comfy with

4) again whatever does get you the job done fastest, experiment with techniques find what you like most...

5) rendering is done based on triangles, you can triangulate any n-gon into a bunch of tris, which is the only thing 3d hardware can actually use. n-gons have mostly workflow benefits, think about extrude/inset... However math wise they are treated a bit different then just a collection of triangles. Mostly for subdivision algorithms its better to keep quads.

6) not sure what you mean, but in the 3dsmax world "mesh" refers to the "pure triangle-based dumb" meshes, while another objecttype "polygon object" exists, which allows more conveniant modelling tools (paired with some restrictions).

hope that helps

about research, questions are cool, but dont underestimate the need to do research yourself, of course there is always an easy way of just ask, but some of the stuff gets asked over and over again, often chances are someone asked the same stuff before... be aware that like with anything, you are supposed to explore, experiment and enhance yourself, it makes you more valueable and often finding out stuff on yourself gives you a much better overview on the issue, then just text by someone else.

jgarland

On the subject of image planes, I just meant that it seems kind of "hackish." I would have thought there might be a better alternative.

Thanks for the help. It cleared some things up. Still, if anybody else wants to offer some advice, it's always appreciated.

Joseph Silverman

Well, max can set backgrounds for the viewports too, which is my usual way of handling things. Planes always get in my way, even if they are a bit superior

Jarrod1937

[ QUOTE ]
Well, max can set backgrounds for the viewports too, which is my usual way of handling things. Planes always get in my way, even if they are a bit superior

[/ QUOTE ]
i always had a problem with the viewport background images resizing slightly when i am not zoomed in on one single viewport, which made my model look fine in one and off in another. perhaps this just has to do with my card or drivers or 3ds max 7... but i prefer image planes. just freeze them and they won't really get in your way.

Rhinokey

1. i've never got the background to work 100% correct sometimes it will work for a few hours then poof mess up and change sizes, and i have hell getting it back to the propper size,,

i personaly think if you have images to use as reference that work on planes,, then use them. don't make it a distraction from your work flow, make it part of your work flow.

2. personaly i make a low poly model then clone it,, then modify the clone into the high poly, afterwards adjust the original low to match any major volume changes in the high.

3. "how long does it take to walk down a path"

4. the best method of model;ing is the one that allows you to make the best model in the shortest ammount of time. this will be decided by you trying out a lot of things and finding what works for you.

5. quads is only severly important in models you plan to subdivide. but they also help keeping all models clean and pleasing to look at. but don't feel restricted to them

6. i assume you mean edit mesh and edit poly modeling in max. edit mesh is an old school system that only retards or old school modelers still use. i try to convert as many of the old school edit mesh users over to edit poly as i can.

edit poly is newer and has MANY new and better tools. personaly edit mesh should be stripped from 3ds max. leaving it in is akin to leaving the crank on the front of automobiles just to please people who still prefer to crank their cars by manual labor

Eric Chadwick

I agree Edit Mesh is ancient, but it does have its place. Edit Poly doesn't support fins or other non-manifold topology, plus it auto-spins edges when polys deform.

jgarland

Thanks for all the help, guys. That pretty much clears up any questions I've had lingering in the back of my head.